


Beneath the Surface

by EmmaKeladry



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Culmets - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Paul swears a lot, Romance, away mission, buried in cave, earthquake, season one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 02:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19736722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaKeladry/pseuds/EmmaKeladry
Summary: A simple away-mission leaves Paul trapped beneath a crushing weight of rock. Unable to transport him to safety, Hugh has to put his own life in danger to save the one he loves.





	Beneath the Surface

**Author's Note:**

> Set in season one, post Paul injecting himself with Tardigrade DNA. I wanted to show an away mission from the first season! Things don't exactly go as planned, especially if Paul is there! :)

Dr. Hugh Culber laughed, shaking his head at Doctor Pollard’s question. “I can’t betray his trust by telling you intimate details of our personal life. But I can tell you that Paul possibly does have bed-head in the morning and it’s adorable. But I can’t tell you anything else. Doctor/Engineer partner confidentiality.” He put away the tray of medical tools he’d been inventorying and moved to the next drawer. It was actually a slow day for once. War wasn’t breathing down their necks and threatening them. Hugh felt slightly at ease, even though he was distracted by Paul being on an away mission without him. It was a simple scientific away-mission, not war related.

Dr. Pollard smiled. “How’s he been feeling?”

Hugh shrugged, remembering his earlier conversation with Paul over breakfast. He insisted he wasn’t hungry, but Hugh contended he eat and get some nutrients into his currently unbalanced system. It would help him. Paul had resisted, but eventually ate some peanut butter toast and orange juice. Hugh planned on convincing him to eat a healthier diet when they had dinner together. “He’s… alright.”

“Has the neurological activity returned to a normal level?” She finished her drawer and moved to the next one, one bed over from his.

“Yes and no. It fluctuates when he jumps, but it does level off in a manner of speaking.” The worry, that never seemed to disappear, nagged at him as Hugh finished his inventory and submitted his count. “The cybernetic augments assist him greatly and it eases some of my concern.”

“But not all of it,” she spoke softly. Doctor Pollard smiled at him before excusing herself to the opposite side of the medbay.

They worked in silence for the next hour. Hugh checked his PADD for a message from Paul. He was currently investigating some alien mycology on an uninhabited planet; after he informed Captain Lorca that the composition of the mushrooms was similar to those they used to navigate the mycelial network. Set back in an underground cave, Michael, Paul, Saru, and Tilly were sampling the mushrooms for study. It was a standard mission and Hugh wasn’t very concerned. He’d hoped to have a message from Paul about how things were going, but wasn’t surprised that he’d most likely been too consumed with his work to send a reply.

A loud sound of static broke the comfortable silence in the medbay. Hugh and Doctor Pollard exchanged a look.

“—need emergency assistance, please respond Discovery.” Hugh recognized Cadet Tilly’s voice.

“This is Doctor Culber. What can we do for you, Cadet Tilly?” Hugh asked.

“We need an emergency medical team to beam to the surface. – out.” Part of her words cut out and Tilly repeated herself. “We can’t beam him out.”

Hugh felt his stomach clench. No.

“Who?” Doctor Pollard asked.

“Lieutenant Stamets.”

**DISCOVERY * DISCOVERY**

Lieutenant Paul Stamets examined the mushroom, gently taking a sample and adding it to his sterile container. It was beautiful, colored with a variety of purples and yellows. The composition was so similar, but different from his spores. The cave was veined with bright orange lines that lit up the dark space. Water dripped from somewhere close by. Paul could’ve spent hours exploring the cavern, but Captain Lorca only gave them a limited window. It was enough. Paul glanced up to see Saru and Tilly looking at another plant, discussing it in hushed voices.

“Tilly, come here and take some samples of the ones on the west wall,” Paul said, gesturing to a collection of purples connected to one of the orange veins.

Paul stood up and his center of balance shifted. What? He looked over at Michael and saw the same bewildered expression on her face. The movement happened again, harder this time. It was a tremor in the ground beneath them.

_Shit_.

“Run!” Paul shouted as the ground beneath them rolled under his feet, throwing off his balance again.

Holding his sample bag to his side, Paul rushed forward on the uneven ground. He vaguely heard Michael hailing Discovery and informing them of the situation. They weren’t moving fast enough. The deep rumbling sound reached his ears before he had enough time to fully process it. Tilly ran in front of him. Paul glanced up as the rock shifted and the cavern started to collapse around them. He dropped his samples and pushed Tilly forward as hard as he could.

She screamed. Paul hoped he shoved her to safety as something hard and heavy slammed down on his body. Intense pain flared as he lost consciousness.

**DISCOVERY * DISCOVERY**

As Paul slowly came around, the first thing he felt was stabbing pain. He gasped, stirring up dust and breathing it in. He coughed hard, breathing in more dust with each breath. An intense pressure on his back didn’t help. His lungs struggled to inflate. A hot sticky liquid ran down the left side of his face. Paul finally managed to get his breathing under control. He tried to move, crying out at a sharp pinch in his left shoulder. Tears ran down his cheeks. He used his other hand to feel his shoulder, feeling sick as he realized his arm had been dislocated. The intensity of the movement and pain caused him to throw-up. Paul barely turned his head to keep from aspirating on his own vomit. This sent him into another round of coughing.

“Hello?” Paul called out weakly. He grunted, trying to move as he began to panic.

The dim light of the cave was almost nonexistent. He felt the substantial slab of rock on his back, pinning him to the ground. He assumed it was a rock from the ceiling. When he tried to move, the rocks shifted.

Paul screamed. He gasped and took uneven breaths.

“Hello?”

Water dripped nearby, but there was no response from Michael, Saru, or Tilly. Paul tried to reach for his communicator, but he couldn’t move. He tried to remember where he’d had it last and vaguely remembered it being in his hand during the quake. It was probably buried beneath stone.

“Please, hey, please. I’m stuck, I’m stuck. I can’t move,” he gasped. “Help! Anyone please, please help me.” Paul let out a sob as tears dripped onto the cave floor. “Please. Hugh, please.”

His eyes closed. He lay as still as possible, trying to regain some control of his mind and to access the situation. Panicking wouldn’t save him. Paul took inventory of his injuries, noting the vice-like pain around his head and wondered how long he’d been unconscious. Did they know he was alive? His left shoulder was dislocated and he couldn’t move it without excruciating pain. A large rock or rocks pinned him to the ground. Paul tried to move his toes and felt a small movement in his boots as he sucked in a breath. Okay, that was alright. He wasn’t paralyzed.

Breathing… was difficult. He wished he could at least see where he was. Did the others make it out alive? He hoped that he pushed Tilly far enough away and to safety, but he had no way of knowing. Paul shifted slightly, but felt a tearing in his side as one of the rocks shifted. He yelled.

“Damn it!”

Nope. He couldn’t move. He was trapped. Paul listened, desperate to hear his team, his friends trying to get him to answer, but he couldn’t hear anything. The cavern muffled all sound except for his labored breathing. He bit his lip, trying to stop himself from panicking. There was a lesser pain in his arm that bugged him. Paul tenderly brushed it and his heart sank. Hugh’s design, one of his cybernetic augments, protruded from his skin and the area around it bleed. Paul wished he could see it, but he knew it was broken. He was losing a lot of blood from different places in his body.

“Help,” he whispered weakly.

Paul didn’t know how long he lay there, listening to the water running down the cavern walls and occasionally fighting the urge to cough, but ultimately failing. The pressure continued to increase on his chest.

A bright light caused him to cry out; a transporter beam. It faded to a dimmer light and Paul could see it was a communicator, popped open with the screen lit up to give him a little light.

“Lieutenant Stamets, this Doctor Culber, please respond. Paul, please say something.”

“Oh god,” Paul sobbed. “I’m here. I’m here. Hugh, I’m here. Please, I’m trapped.” His cries rang in his ears and he couldn’t hear Hugh’s response. Paul tried to calm himself down. “ _Hugh_.”

“I’m right here. I’m not gonna leave you.”

“Beam out?” Paul managed to gasp after a long moment. Why hadn’t they beamed him out? The damn thing better not be broken; it never seemed to function in their most desperate need and this qualified as desperate.

“The transporter can’t beam you out due to the alien components in the cavern wall. The transporter can’t get a stable lock on your bio-readings.” Hugh paused. “I’m so sorry Paul. Saru is attempting to shift some of the rock higher up so we can get to your location to stabilize you. If we can place transport enhancers directly around you, we can beam you to sickbay.”

Paul swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Tilly… is she okay?”

“A few scratches, but she’s okay. I promise.”

It helped to hear Hugh’s voice, but not enough. Paul whimpered, grateful that Tilly was okay, but he couldn’t think about it. “Fuck. Please. Please,” he hissed. “Hurts. It hurts.”

“Can you tell me where it hurts?” Hugh asked.

Paul fought to catch his breath, crying out as he coughed and the movement jarred his shoulder. “Head. Not sure how long – long I was… unconscious. My shoulder is dislocated. I can feel my toes, but there’s not a lot of pain. A rock is on… my back. I can’t get… free. I tried, but the movement…” His words dissolved into a round of coughs. When he managed to catch his breath, Paul wiped a little spit from his lips with the back of his hand.

“Paul, I’m right here. I need you to stay still and breathe with me. In and out.” Hugh guided him, instructing his breaths until they evened out a little more. “Good job, honey.”

Paul rested his head against the cold stone and found it wet. He didn’t know where the water was coming from. “Tired,” he murmured.

“Paul, stay awake.” Hugh’s voice was firm and louder than before.

Damn, the chill of the cave wasn’t enough. His eyes slipped closed and he felt himself drifting away.

**DISCOVERY * DISCOVERY**

It took Paul a long time to realize he hadn’t answered him. He opened his eyes again, seeing the light emanating from the communicator. The clink of rocks shifted and a hushed voice reached his ears. What was happening? Why wasn’t Hugh speaking to him? He blinked, trying to focus his blurry vision on the shape next to the communicator. It was humming softly. Paul vaguely recognized the medical scanner pointing in his direction. He picked up the sound of Saru’s voice, instructing someone to shift to the left.

“Gah!” Paul shouted as the rocks around him moved slightly to the right and increasing the pain on his back. “Stop! _Fuck_.”

“Paul, are you with us?” Hugh’s voice asked with a hint of alarm rising from it.

Paul nodded. They couldn’t see him. His mouth felt dry and full of dust from the cave. He tried to lick his lips, but didn’t have enough moisture in his mouth. “How long…?”

“You’ve been unconscious for about forty minutes. I thought we lost you for a little while there. Your bio-readings are low. Saru and I are getting close. We almost made it to you, but the rocks shifted too much and we have to try another path.”

Paul nodded again. He really wanted a drink of water. Maybe Hugh could bring him some water. “I’m cold.” A shiver went through his body, causing him to groan and gasp. “Cold and wet.” The cool water beneath his fingertips hadn’t been there before he passed out. His cheek lay in the water, cold and not feeling like his cheek. Paul lifted his head, but it fell back to the ground with a grunt. He wondered if he could drink this water, but he decided it was a bad idea. Hugh wouldn’t approve.

He tried to shift to relieve some of the pressure on his back, but only succeeded in making it worse. Paul cried out, biting his lip at the last moment as he remembered Hugh could hear him.

“What’s going on?” Hugh’s voice asked. “Paul!”

“I tried… to move. _It hurts_.” The last two words became a whimper. Fuck, he couldn’t take much more of this.

“Okay, I need you to lie still. That slab of rock is putting a lot of pressure on your spinal cord. Movement could cause more damage to your back and we don’t want that.”

“ _Hurts_. It hurts,” Paul whispered. The word didn’t even begin to describe the pain, but he didn’t have the mental capability to think of another word. He began to cough, feeling a tight pain in his chest. It was getting progressively harder to breath. He wanted to be home, safe with Hugh.

A slight tremble in the ground brought more dust down and Paul breathed it in. He coughed until he could do nothing but wheeze. He wiped away the spit from his lip and froze. He could see it in the dim light from the communicator and the scanner. It wasn’t clear, but a bright red. _Blood_. Paul knew he should tell Hugh, but he didn’t have the strength to speak anymore. He just wanted to sleep.

Time didn’t seem to connect at the moment. It felt like he’d been trapped for a long time, but also it felt like ten minutes. Paul blinked, attempting to clear his vision, but it didn’t help. Maybe if he closed his eyes and slept for a few more minutes, then he’d feel better.

Paul told Hugh just that.

“I’m sorry honey. You can’t sleep. I need you to stay awake. Why don’t you tell me about your theory about dating?”

Paul laughed once, but winced. “Why?”

“It gets you riled up. I want to keep your blood pressure up and to keep you from going into full shock.”

“Fine.” Paul rested his head against the ground, feeling the water brushing his face. The level had risen slightly. Panic crept into his mind. He couldn’t move, but the running water was slowly filling the cavern where he was trapped. Paul couldn’t hold his head up that long. “Hugh… water.”

“Are you thirsty?” Hugh asked, not understanding what Paul was saying.

Paul shook his head, but didn’t answer. He forgot Hugh couldn’t see him. He went into a round of coughing when he tried to talk again. More blood pooled in his mouth and was expelled onto the ground, tainting the color of the water and mixing together. Gross. Paul wished he could clear the metallic taste for his mouth. A nice cold cup of ice water sounded perfect.

“Hold on Paul, we’re almost there.”

His chest ached and the pain almost made him pass out. Paul focused on breathing in and out, getting himself back under control. “Water – in cave,” he gasped.

Hugh didn’t say anything for a long moment and Paul wondered if he understood. He didn’t have the strength to repeat himself. The cold water helped him feel numb. Paul tried to move, but he found he couldn’t even try. He couldn’t move or feel his legs anymore. His mind wanted to panic, but he wasn’t able to fully process the realization.

“ _Hugh_ ,” Paul whimpered as tears ran down his cheeks.

The sound of rocks shifting reached his ears. Paul glanced up and he let out a soft sob. Hugh, wearing his medical whites, which were caked in mud at the knees and elbows, came through an opening in the cavern wall with a tight expression on his face and his medical kit in one hand. _Yes, pain relief_. Saru came in after him, but Paul barely looked at him. Paul tried to lift his hand and reach for Hugh, but it caused him to cry out as his shoulder shifted. Fuck.

Hugh’s warm fingers connected with his. “I’m right here, Paul. Don’t try to move.” He opened his medical case and immediately administered an analgesic.

Paul let out a soft sigh as the medication reached his bloodstream. It only took the edge off, but any pain relief was welcome at this point. His lungs seized and he began coughing again. This time, he couldn’t stop himself. Another hypospray pinched his neck, this one burned slightly. Hugh squeezed Paul’s hand as he got his breathing more under control.

“What’d you… give me?” Paul asked.

“Tri-ox. Your chest is being crushed and your oxygen levels are dropping. We have to get you out of here.” Hugh dug in his medical kit and administered another hypospray.

Saru moved around them, setting up transport enhancers with ease and grace that only he could manage at a time like this. Paul tried to watch him, but simply turning his head made him dizzy and nauseous. He groaned and let his head fall back into the water, which now came to his lips. Hugh’s warm hands lifted his head, holding him up from drowning in the few inches of dirty water. Paul let out a sob, wanting all of this to be over.

“It’s gonna be okay.” Hugh’s voice was choked up.

Paul blinked, trying to clear his eyes so he could see him. It hurt to look up at him for long. “Hugh… I love…” he gasped, unable to complete his sentence.

Saru said something to Hugh, but Paul couldn’t hear it. His ears rang and black spots formed in his vision. The glow of the transporter enveloped him as he blissfully lost consciousness.

**DISCOVERY * DISCOVERY**

Paul let out a soft whimper, not bothering to open his eyes. His hand twitched slightly. They must’ve given him some of the good medications as he didn’t feel the shooting pain in his shoulder or the vice-like pressure around his chest impeding his breathing or the numbness in his legs. He vaguely realized that one hand had an IV protruding from it, but he didn’t have the strength to care. “Hugh?” His voice felt dry and scratchy.

Warm fingers wrapped around his free hand. He immediately knew who it was, without having to open his eyes yet.

“I’m right here, honey,” Hugh said, brushing Paul’s hair back.

Paul slowly opened his eyes, blinking when he realized the spinning was gone. Hugh’s face loomed in front of him. He smiled softly. “You saved me,” he murmured, feeling completely exhausted from the trauma and the memories were a bit hazy.

“You scared me.” Hugh’s voice was soft, in a tone that Paul never wanted to hear again. Fear, unconcealed and raw.

“Close?” Paul asked.

“Too close this time.” Hugh cupped his cheek, using his thumb to gently brush the stubble on his cheek. “The damage to your body was serious. Your spinal cord was perforated from the rock on your back, along with a lot of internal bleeding, including damage to your left kidney. You landed on a rock when you fell, which caused small laceration in your lung. Air was slowly filling the plural space, which made it hard to breath. Your dislocated shoulder was an easy fix. You also suffered a concussion and lots of bumps and bruises.”

Paul focused on breathing, pain-free, as he took inventory of his body. He moved his toes and tried to shift slightly on the bed. Hugh used his other hand to halt his movements. “Ouch,” Paul murmured, feeling the newly healed muscles twinge.

“It’s gonna take a while before you feel up to moving.”

He nodded, seeing the small white bandage covering his cybernetic augment. “I’m sorry I broke it.”

Hugh looked where Paul’s gaze was focused. “It’s okay. I can make a new one. Once your arm is fully healed, I can replace the augment with an upgrade. This time I’ll make sure it isn’t itchy.”

“You better,” he teased. Paul’s mind drifted and he almost fell back to sleep, but he jerked awake. Hugh still had his hand on Paul’s chest. “How long…?”

“Three days since the accident.”

Paul frowned and he left out a shaky sigh. “I missed our anniversary.”

A smile spread across Hugh’s face. “It’s okay. I was right here with you. I haven’t left your side since we got back.”

A tear ran down Paul’s cheek. The heat of his blush rose as one of the nurses walked by in the background and he desperately wished they were home in their own quarters, not the medbay. Another tear leaked out. He wanted to brush it away, but he didn’t have the strength to lift his hand yet. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, I love you. That doesn’t change because you were unconscious on our anniversary. I promise.” Hugh gently kissed him and wiped away the tears on his love’s cheeks. “I can think of a few ways to make it up to me if you feel guilty that you almost died and missed our anniversary.”

“Cuddling?” Paul suggested; his eyes still bright with unshed tears.

“Lots of cuddling. Now go back to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

**DISCOVERY * DISCOVERY**

Paul snuggled into his pillow and pulled the blanket up to his chin. Five days in the medbay and he’d tried, but he’d become quite grumpy the last day. He wanted to sleep in his bed. With Hugh snuggling him. They’d weaned him off all of the pain medication and only some stiffness remained. Unless he was trying to walk, then his back ached and he could only move small distances without needing to take a break from the tender muscle movements. Hugh assured him he’d feel better in a few more days. Paul watched as Hugh pulled off his boots, dropping them onto the floor one by one. He smiled lazily as he admired Hugh’s graceful movements as he unzipped his jacket and laid it on the couch.

Hugh caught his eye as he untucked his dark blue DISCO t-shirt. “What?”

“Are you giving me a show?” Paul asked, wiggling slightly before wincing at the moment. Nope, that didn’t feel good.

Hugh came over to him and put a hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles. “You wouldn’t have the energy,” he teased, before kissing him gently. He slipped off his uniform pants and crawled into bed next to Paul.

Paul immediately drew himself to Hugh. He rested against Hugh’s chest, putting one hand on his stomach as he relaxed and rubbed his nose on his chest playfully. Hugh laughed softly, running his fingers through Paul’s hair. He kissed the top of Paul’s head and brushed his cheek with the back of his hand, soft smooth movements. Paul hummed in content. He put his hand over Hugh’s heart, feeling the beating beneath his hands and he made a soft little moan.

“Are you feeling okay?” Hugh said, looking down at him. “Do you need anything?”

Paul looked up at him sleepily. “I’m okay. I have everything I need right here.”

Hugh rolled his eyes. “You are so… utterly romantic.”

“But you love me?” He stuck out his lower lip as he looked up at him.

“Paul.”

Hugh kissed him, deepening the kiss as Paul moved closer until they were lying parallel to each other. He put one hand on the back of Paul’s neck. Everywhere they touched, their bodies tingled. Paul kept his face close to Hugh’s when the kiss ended.

“Is that a good enough answer?” Hugh whispered.

Paul shook his head, but replied, “Yes. More?”

“Of course, my love. I love you too much to let that little pout be put to waste.”

Paul let himself be swept up in the kiss of the man he loved. Much better than being buried alive in a cave, but he loved how much Hugh was willing to do to save him.


End file.
